Victory — Court Blocks Trump’s Attack on Birth Control

“At Planned Parenthood, we won’t stop fighting for our patients’ access to care – no matter what.”

Washington, DC –– Today, a federal court upheld a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump-Pence administration’s attack on affordable birth control from taking effect in California, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, and New York. Last year, the administration released sweeping new rules that went into effect immediately to cut back the Affordable Care Act’s guarantee for birth control coverage with no out of pocket costs. In addition to today’s order, a nationwide injunction out of a Pennsylvania federal court on the very same rule remains in place.

Statement from Dr. Leana Wen, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

This is a win for reproductive health care. As a doctor, I go by the data – nearly nine in ten women will use birth control at some point in their lives, and we are at the lowest rate of unintended pregnancy in 30 years. Birth control is health care – critical health care that allows people to lead the life they want.

“We’ve made tremendous gains in this country with expanded access to birth control, and we must continue to build on that progress. Too many people still face barriers to health care, especially young people, people of color, those who live in rural areas, and people with low incomes.

“The Trump-Pence administration should follow science and evidence, and stop trying to roll back access to health care and reproductive rights. At Planned Parenthood, we won’t stop fighting for our patients’ access to care – no matter what.

Data shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe women should have birth control coverage and think women should be able to get birth control coverage through their health insurance even if their bosses morally disagree with the idea of birth control. This puts the Trump administration in direct opposition with the overwhelming majority of voters.

BACKGROUND ON BIRTH CONTROL:

FACT: Nearly nine in 10 women of reproductive age will use contraception at some point in their lives, whether for family planning or other medical reasons like treating endometriosis.

FACT:  We are at the lowest rate of unintended pregnancy in 30 years, and a historic low of pregnancy among teens because of expanded access to birth control and sex education.

FACT: The Affordable Care Act’s birth control provision saved women an estimated $1.4 billion on birth control pills in its first year alone. Thanks to this benefit, more than 62 million women now have access to birth control without copayments.

FACT: According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, after the Affordable Care Act’s birth control provision took effect, fewer than 4 percent of American women had to pay out of pocket for oral birth control. That number was more than 20 percent before the law’s passage.

FACT: A 2010 Hart Research poll, conducted before the Affordable Care Act’s birth control provision went into effect, found that one in three women voters had struggled to afford prescription birth control, including 57 percent of young women aged 18 to 34.  

FACT: And a 2017 report found that 4 in 10 Black women of reproductive age reported that they could not afford more than $10 a month for birth control if they had to pay out of pocket.

FACT: Eighty-six percent of Americans (including 91 percent of Democrats and 83 percent of Republicans) support policies that make it easier to get the full range of birth control methods.

FACT: A recent Business Forward survey, found that 75 percent of women — 86 percent of women executives — say the ability to plan if and when to have children has been important for the ability to pursue their professional and career goals.

FACT: The U.S has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world, and Black women are most at risk of dying from childbirth. Access to birth control can help reduce maternal and even infant mortality. In 1965, at the time of the Griswold v. Connecticut decision, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that provided the first constitutional protection for birth control, 32 women were dying for every 100,000 live births in America. Today, the rate is less than half that. Infant mortality has fallen even faster — from 25 deaths to six deaths per 1,000 live births.

FACT: Women use birth control for a variety of reasons — in fact, 58 percent of all women who use the pill rely on it, at least in part, for something other than pregnancy prevention, including endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome — which is prevalent among women of color — fibroids, and menstrual regulation.

FACT: In 2014, Bloomberg Businessweek also ranked the invention of the pill as one of the top 10 most transformative moments in the business sector over the last 85 years. Access to birth control has not just opened up educational and career opportunities for women, but it has catapulted women into more management roles. In fact, a study showed that the pill is responsible for one-third of women’s wage gains relative to men since the 1960s.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.